1. Technical Field
The field of art to which this invention pertains may be generally located in the class of devices relating to valves. Class 137, Fluid Handling, U.S. Patent Office Classification, appears to be the applicable general area of art to which the subject matter similar to this invention has been classified in the past.
2. Background Information
This invention relates to an individual, valve base for a solenoid operated, four-way directional control valve wherein one end of the valve base comprises an electrical junction box. Heretofore, in order to provide such a valve structure with an exhaust flow control function it has been necessary to employ a sandwich or interface plate mounted on the valve base, with the exhaust flow control valves mounted in said plate. A disadvantage of such a sandwich or interface plate, when used to provide an exhaust flow control function, is that such a plate addition enlarges the overall directional control valve structure, increases the cost and weight of the valve structure, and makes such a valve structure more complex.
It is a primary object of the present invention, to provide a novel, individual, valve base for a four-way directional control valve which overcomes the problems of increased cost, increased weight and enlarged valve structure, which are present when it is required to provide a flow control function with the use of a sandwich or interface plate in a pneumatic control system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel, individual, valve base for a four-way directional control valve which is light in weight, compact in structure, and which is constructed and arranged with an electrical junction box in one end, and a pair of flow control valves operatively mounted in the other end which meter the exhaust flow through the base from a pair of exhaust inlet ports into a common exhaust passage, and thence out of the base through a single exhaust outlet port.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel, individual, valve base for a four-way directional control valve which does not require a sandwich or interface plate in order to provide an exhaust flow control function.
It is still another object of the present invention, to provide a novel, individual, valve base for a four-way directional control valve which provides a combined low profile valve structure, yet which can be employed to provide an exhaust flow control function.